


The bigger picture

by cherryat



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2019-11-06 14:39:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17941631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryat/pseuds/cherryat
Summary: Delphine Cormier is an immunologist at DYAD and definitely not a karaoke woman. When she pushes herself out of her comfort zone for the sake of her best friend's birthday, she ends up discovering secrets, conspiracies and herself.





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, Del! We're going out tonight, go get ready!” Krystal says while straightening her blonde hair as I enter our apartment

“Goodnight to you, too. Happy birthday again! Work was okay, how was your day? That's great to hear”

“Come on, it's my birthday! You're not getting out of a night out at Bobby's! It's karaoke night!” She's way too excited to be sober right now

“Oh no, you know I don't do karaoke”

“Well, now you do” She brings four shots of tequila over and hands me two of them “Drink these and put on that hot black dress that will make every guy at the bar go crazy”

“I don't need to ‘make the guys go crazy’”

“Honey, you need it. How long has it been? 8 months?”

“Fine!”

After taking a shower to freshen up a bit and putting on the dress Krystal was talking about and some light makeup, I was ready to go. Bobby's is a really nice bar. It's simple, affordable and the entertainment is always good, although I've never been to any karaoke night before.

“I'm gonna get us a drink and then I'll put our names on the list for tonight”

“Okay, but nothing too strong, I'm already a little tipsy from the tequila” She smirks and goes to the other side of the bar to get the bartender's attention

“What is a beautiful woman like you doing in a bar like this alone?” A tall man came beside me and I rolled my eyes. I am so tired of these lame bar lines, it's been a while since I felt a real connection with anyone and that ended up pretty bad for me, but I don't want to settle for some random guy.

“She's with me!” Krystal was back and answered for me. I didn't even realize I was ignoring the guy for so long. I grabbed one of the drinks in her hand and drank it as fast as I could.

“Putain! What is this, Krystal?” I ask her with my throat burning

“Damn, Del. Are you okay? It's just absinthe”

“Oh my, this is too strong, what did I tell you?”

“I know, but you need to loosen up before we sing Just Like Heaven”

“How did you-”

“Honey, you forget I can hear you singing in the shower” We laughed and continued our conversation

“So, who do you want?” 

“What? Oh no, I don't need anything right now. What about you? It's your birthday after all” I wiggled my eyebrows at her

“Things are great with Hector, he's such a gentleman, so caring. And umm, the sex is just-”

“Okay, I definitely don't need more details, but I'm happy for you. You know that if he hurts you I'll kill him, right?”

“Yup, that's my girl. Hey, you deserve to find someone to love and take care of you. I mean, I'm fine doing that, but I can't provide amazing fucks for you” I can't help but laugh at her words

“It's okay, I just need to focus on my job right now”

“Maybe you should take some time off, you seem more stressed than the usual in the past weeks. Are you sure you're fine?”

“Oui, let's just forget about it. This is your night and fun Delphine is coming out anytime now”

Apparently they were alternating between the DJ and the karaoke volunteers, but it didn't take long for us to be called to the stage. Nervousness got to me. Even though I was drunk, I hadn't sang in front of anyone since I was a kid and was obligated to join the choir at my school. Krystal had to force me up the stage and start singing by herself, but soon I relaxed a bit and joined her in the chorus. As the music progressed I became more and more excited. That is, until I see a familiar face staring at me. She looks just like my best friend, but so completely different. The brunette has dreads, glasses, a thick eyeliner and dresses like a hippie, something I know for a fact Krystal would never do. I look at her with confusion and curiosity and then I turn to the woman singing with me and the unknown's eyes follow mine in her direction. I look back to the other woman and she is completely in shock mouthing a “holy fuck” or something like that. Somehow I managed to finish the song and I go running to my friend.

“Del, you look so pale, are you alright? I'm sorry I forced you into this”

“Krystal, do you have a sister?”

“Of course, silly. You've met Liza”

“No, I mean a twin sister”

“Well, I have no way of knowing, you know that”

“Come here” I pull her through the crowd searching for the dreadlocked woman

“Excuse me” She turns around “Hi, I'm Delphine and this is Krystal, I think you two are related” The two of them stare at each other for a while until my friend breaks the silence

“Oh my god! I can't believe this! She kinda looks like me, don't you think?”

“She looks exactly like you. Aside from the hair, glasses and nose ring” Krystal glanced over to me doubtfully 

“Umm, I don't think so…”

“Oh shit, I'm sorry. I just thought I was too high for a second. Dude, I didn't know about you. I'm Cosima, by the way” He hands flew around in the air while she talked to Krystal trying to get to know her and I couldn't stop looking at Cosima. There was such a warm and inviting feeling coming from her. Maybe it was the smile she would give me every now and then when she glanced at me or maybe it was just emanating from her with no effort whatsoever

“Oi, Cos. Where have you been? We were looking for you” A British voice called our attention and I turned to see three other women that looked like my friend 

“Bloody hell! I think we should sit” We followed her to a booth and stood quietly trying to understand everything 

“So, if these dipshits aren't going to present themselves, I am. I'm Beth, I'm a cop - don't worry, I'm not on duty - and I was raised in Toronto. The one with the bangs is Alison, she's a soccer mom and she's from Scarborough. The punk is Sarah, clearly from England and officially she's unemployed. I think you've already met Dreads there, she's our little geek monkey from San Fran”

“Hey, we're all the same height!” Cosima intervened

“Whatever. So, I was digging a little at my past and found out about these ones so I contacted them. I'm sorry, I didn't know about you. And I know this is kind of surprising, but welcome to the club” 

“Oh ok, thanks. I'm… I'm a little shocked, but okay. I'm Krystal, nice to meet you all” They all smiled but Sarah, it was a little freakish to look around and see the same face over and over again “I'm a manicurist and I'm from Vancouver, but I moved here when I turned 18”

They all turned to me expectantly. I thought this was only between them, I definitely didn't expect to be included in the conversation

“I- umm I'm Delphine, I'm a scientist and I'm from a little town near Paris. Enchantée” 

“Enchantée” Cosima, who was sitting right in front of me replied with a smile “What is your specialty?”

“I'm an immunologist”

“Cool, I'm evo-devo! Umm, I mean Evolutionary Development. I'm working on my PhD at University of Toronto. Where do you go?”

“I already got my doctora-”

“For fucks sake, I can't handle two science dorks. I'm gonna get a drink” Sarah left the table, taking Beth with her and left us giggling 

“So… are we quintuplets then?” The quiet soccer mom finally spoke and took another sip of her wine

“Well I guess… sextuplets are highly unlikely. You're adopted, right?” Cosima asked

“Yeah” My friend answered

“Alison’s mom gave birth in San Francisco, just like my own, so I guess they switched babies. If I tell my mom or she's gonna flip” The other scientist chuckled a bit

It was highly unlikely for quintuplets to be shipped away to different parents and be switched at birth. They weren't born that long ago for these mistakes to be justifiable. The only other option is… clones. I had been suspicious of human cloning for a while now. I've been working on curing a disease that started with growths in the uterus and spread to the lungs and then everywhere else. I was given samples in different stages of the disease and, at first I assumed they were from the same subject, but I ran some tests and the genetic code was identical in all of them. There were only two possibilities: the disease came in waves or they were different people in different stages with the same genetic material. I asked my boss for more information, but he was really dismissive about it and said I shouldn't ask too many questions. It hasn't been even a month since I realized that and I get more and more confused everyday. And now I'm even more intrigued than I was before. But that's impossible and illegal, right?

“Fuck, did someone break Frenchie over there?” I heard the cop coming back with the drinks

“Oh, I'm sorry. My drunken brain is having trouble processing all of this. I'll leave you to talk, I'm going to have a smoke” I excused myself from the table and headed outside

My thoughts were running all over the place. This isn't possible, the biology part is hard enough on itself, but the ethical implications can't be trespassed, the media and the people would be all over that. And the disease… If they were clones that would mean they could develop it over time. Or are they sick right now? Maybe they're just quintuplets with a whole lot of bad luck. I smoked two cigarettes to completion and was halfway through my third one when someone touched my shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay? You left so abruptly, Krys got worried and I came to check on you and smoke a little as well”

“I'm fine, it's just… weird, I guess. Do you want one?” I handed her the pack

“No, thanks. Just pot for me”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I'm from San Fran… Have you ever tried it?”

“Non, I haven't”

“I'm gonna get you completely baked one day” She grinned

“Okay, one day” I can't help but grin back

“So, where did you get your doctorate?”

“I started it in France, but came here to finish it at U of T as well. I finished it two years ago”

“What? You couldn't wait two more years to make crazy science with me?”

“Sorry, chérie. But we can still make crazy science together”

“That sounds nice” Cosima came a little closer and I froze. We just stood there smoking in silence and staring at each other under the moonlight for a few minutes until the cold got the best of us

“Let's go back inside, it's cold out here”

“Okay, I'm going to get some water, do you want anything?”

“No, thanks. I'll wait for you at the table”

I quickly grabbed my bottle and headed back

“Look who's back!” Alison almost shouted when I came closer “How come you have such a beautiful hair? It's magical” I looked at her confused while she played with my hair

“Th- thank you?”

“I'm Sorry, Delphine. Someone drank a little too much, right Ali?”

“I'm the one that knows how to control myself, Elizabeth. Leave me alone”

“Oh shit” Cosima said under her breath and shares a look with Sarah

“That's it, I'm taking you home”

“I'm staying”

“No, you're not” Beth lifted her off the floor

“Put me down this instant!” Alison shouted

“Sorry guys, it was a pleasure meeting you. See you soon, okay? Oh, and happy birthday!” She left with a screaming Alison on her shoulder

“Happy birthday!” Krystal and I said to the duo waving goodbye 

“Fe is done with his ‘client’ and he asked if we want to join him at the flat or if he should come over” Sarah said

“We should totes go there, our parties there are awesome” Cosima added

“Like you remember anything from those night, Cos” They laughed

“Who is Fe?” Krystal interrupted

“Oh dude, sorry. He's Sarah's brother, he's one of the funniest guys I know, but he loves to get under our skin, so be prepared. Let's go, you're both invited” 

“Umm, I don't think I can go, I have to pass by the lab tomorrow morning. Are you going to be mad I ditched you on your birthday?” I ask Krystal

“I know you, you silly workaholic. But come on, just for a little bit” She pouted

“Yeah, Delphine. Just for a little bit” Cosima imitated my friend's expression

“Okay, this is freaky. One hour”

“Three”

“Two and you'll make me coffee tomorrow”

“Deal!” I shook the blonde’s hand and we headed out and arrived at the apartment faster than I expected. Sarah knocked and a dark haired man with leather clothes and an eyeliner opened the door

“Hey, Fe! I missed you, bro!” Cosima almost jumped on him

“Looks like someone is jolly tonight. Did you get some or is it just the pot?” She smacked his arm and he turns finally being able to see us

“Now I get it” Felix says to Cosima “Well, I believe now I can say I have way too many sisters. Hi darling, I'm Felix and I'm your all in one man”

“Aren't you charming?” She blushes “I'm Krystal and this is my friend Delphine”

“Nice to meet you, Delphine. You know… you almost make me doubt my homosexuality. Almost. I'm still 300% gay, but I have to acknowledge you're beautiful” I blush as well

“Thank you, Felix. It's nice to meet you, too. You have a great apartment”

“Mi casa es su casa”

“Come on, sis. Tell me more about you” Krystal caught up with him and I made some small talk with the other sisters. After a few minutes Sarah stood up and opened a bottle of bourbon and Felix insisted on playing a game called ‘Never have I ever’ that I hadn't played before, so they explained it to me and we started.

“Never have I ever found a sister I didn't know I had” Felix started and everyone except me drank

“Never have I ever dressed like a punk” Cosima provoked her siblings 

“That's how it's gonna be, huh? Never have I ever been a scientist” Sarah replied and Cosima and I drank

“Never have I ever had a threesome” Krystal said and the only one that didn't drink was Cosima

“Really, Cos? I thought this was right up your alley”

“Shut up, Sar”

“Come on, Del. It's your turn” My friend reminded me 

“Oh, ummm. Never have I ever dated more than two people at the same time without them knowing” Cosima didn't drink

“Poor little lezzer, all in love and shit. Never have I ever fucked a girl” Felix says and doesn't drink along with me 

“Wha’? You had a threesome only with two guys?” I got flushed with Sarah’s question

“Oh, I remember that story” Krystal started laughing hysterically “That was funny as hell, but I can assure you with a man and a woman is way more fun and better than what you told me”

“I didn't know you-”

“Yeah, well. I had to experiment someday, right? I stuck with dicks after that. At least I didn't fuck my ex with an obnoxious writer”

“Krystal!” I reprimanded her

“Please, do tell” Feliz asked and Cosima looked at me with an odd grin, like it was sad or forced

“Umm, I- I met an annoying writer in college that insisted I was too serious and was pretty much following me everywhere, so he happened to meet my ex and I'd had enough of both of them and one thing let to another” Everyone laughed

“How did you even get to that?” Sarah inquired

“I have absolutely no idea” 

In the next few rounds I didn't drink and, when Cosima realized it, she started saying only things about science and France to make me drink and I did the same to her when it was my turn.

When I wake up it's bright and I have a headache. I open my eyes and see that I'm still in Felix's loft with Cosima sleeping on me on the couch, Krystal sharing a bed with Sarah and Felix. I get to my phone and see that it's already 10am, so I grab my things and run to the lab. I had to study the results of the now sequenced genome before anyone else got a chance to see it and fire me. I definitely shouldn't be doing this. I can barely keep my eyes open after all that drinking and lack of sleep the night before, but I find something strange. There's a part of sequence that's different in each sample and I think that's a code. Or something to differentiate the subjects. After studying the possibilities a little longer I hear my phone ringing.

“Allo?”

“Hey, Delphine. I'm just calling to see if you're okay”

“Cosima?”

“Oh yeah, sorry. It's me, you gave me your number last night, I hope you don't mind me calling”

“No problem. I have a really bad headache, but I'm okay. What about you? What happened last night?”

“I've been better. You really don't remember? Well, I'm sure some of it will come back to you... Look, I'm sorry I pushed you last night, I shouldn't have done that. Hey, at least you didn't vomit your guts out like I did”

“Don't worry about that, it was fun. Though I think my revenge was a little hard on you”

“You don't say!” She chuckled on the phone “I'm impressed, you can hold your liquor pretty well. What's your secret?”

“I'm French...” I said in a low voice and laughed a little, but there was silence on the other end “Cosima?”

“Shit, my mind drifted a little. I'm gonna try to sleep early today, so I'll talk to you later”

“Wait… what time is it?”

“It's 10pm. Are you still in the lab?”

“Maybe…”

“You need to rest, Delphine. Go home, you can finish whatever it is on Monday. If you need any help dorking out about science you know where to reach me”

“Thank you, Cosima. Good night, I hope you feel better tomorrow”

“Yeah, me too. Night, Del”

After staying for a few more minutes, I decided it was time to go home and to my surprise I saw a shirtless man in the couch on top of a tiny body

“Krystal? Mon Dieu! Get a room!”

“Hi, Del. We are just saying goodbye. Bye, honey” She kissed him and he put his shirt on to leave

“Bye, Krys. I'm sorry, Delphine” Hector said leaving

“Goodbye, Hector” He closed the door and I looked back at my roommate who was giggling uncontrollably 

“He's scared shitless of you”

“I'm not a monster, you know that”

“I know sweetie, but he doesn't. Were you at the lab this hole time?”

“Oui, I lost track of the time”

“You have to rest, Del. There's dinner ready” She paused and looked right at my eyes “Why didn't you tell me you have a crush on me?”

“What? I don't! You're beautiful, but I don't”

“Yeah, right. But you do have a crush on Cosima? You said we look exactly the same”

“Your face is the same, but you are completely different from your sisters. And I don't have a crush on Cosima”

“Please, you eye fucked each other for hours while making each other drink until Cos got sick and then you took care of her and even tucked her in”

“I was just looking after her, she's your sister, what's the problem in that?”

“No problem, I'm just saying you like her but you are too stubborn to accept it”

“What? I've known her for a day, she's nice and we're kind of beginning a friendship. That's it, it's purely platonic on both sides”

“You're completely oblivious, but let's pretend we believe what you said” Krystal snorted

“I do believe it. I'm straight Krys, you know that”

“Yeah, well… It would be nice to be your sister in law though. Just don't lead her on, it looks like she really likes you and I don't want to see this backfire, even if I've just known her for a day”

“I promise I won't… What a day, huh?”

“What a day…”


	2. Chapter 2

_C: Hey, what are you up to today?_

I opened her text and smiled, I wished I was with her instead of being stuck at DYAD, with a million questions and little information

_D: I’m at work_

_C: Wanna ditch it and go for a campus tour?_

_D: Cosima, I already know the campus_

_C: Dude, come on_

I sighed, almost giving in, but still worried about the samples I was given that day. The disease was spreading quickly in one of the subjects. Or two. Or three. I had no idea.  Working like that had become really hard, especially since I was trying to find a cure by myself. That whole situation was shady to say the least, I wondered if they were giving me fake samples and isolating me so they could fire me or if my loyalty was being tested so I could be promoted. Either way, I couldn’t stand it anymore.

 _C: There’s free wine_

She tried once again. That wasn’t a bad idea, maybe I could get my mind off of this mess.

_D: I hate it when you bribe me with wine_

_C: You love it_

_D: Fine, I’ll meet you there in 30_

I put my things together and secured the samples before heading to the door and opening it to Dr. Nealon’s smug face

“Heading home already, Dr. Cormier?”

“I’ve been working nonstop at this new project, I need to clear my head”

“No improvements then? Even with your little research on the side?” His knowledge didn't surprise too much, after all I ran the samples through the company and he's definitely not stupid

“Not yet. Do you have any more data for me?”

“Not for you. Dr. Leekie wants to see you in his office first thing in the morning, but I guess he may talk to you before that”

“Goodbye Dr. Nealon”

“Goodbye, Dr. Cormier. Tell him I said hi”

“Connard” I swear under my breath

I rush out before I say something I’ll regret later and head straight to the university, joining Cosima on a bench with two bottles of wine and taking a big gulp

“Bad day?” She asks

“You could say that”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“You know I can’t, Cosima. Confidentiality agreement” It comes out a little harsher than I thought it would

“Hey, I just wanted to help you, you seem really upset” She takes my hand for a second to comfort me

“You are helping. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be such a bitch. How are you?”

“I’m okay, just a little pissed too. Can you believe I just saw a lecture from this creepy dude with a god complex or whatever, talking about self directed evolution and basically telling me to get a pair of robotic eyes. He even tried to talk to me after the lecture, but, as soon as I saw him, I just grabbed all the wine that I could handle - yes, only two bottles because I’m little - and came here to wait for you. I’m pretty sure he’s not too familiar with the campus, or else he’d probably be here stalking me”

“I’m sorry about that, but he’s not here anymore. It’s just me and the free wine”

“Yeah, this is good. Thankfully I don’t have to see him ever again”

“What was his name?”

“A Dr. Creepy Leekie” I gulped nervously and froze “What? You know him?”

“Um… he’s… my boss”

“Gosh, how can you stand him?”

“He’s nice to me… Usually... I’m pretty sure he’s gonna fire me tomorrow”

“Why is that?”

“It’s complicated… He put me on an impossible new project all by myself and he wants to talk to me in the morning. I don’t have a good feeling about it”

“Maybe he wants you to head the research in the topic, I don’t know. The dude seems sketchy as fuck, but he’s not an idiot to fire you. You’re a fucking genius, Delphine” Cosima argued, the effects of the alcohol making us both giggly and enthralled in the discussion

“I really don’t think so. It’s been a month and I made no progress. Also, I did little digging since he wouldn’t tell me the information I needed and they’re growing suspicious of me”

“How can you work without knowing the deets? Stupid bastard, if he gives you any more trouble let me know and I’ll kick his saggy old balls for you” She kicked the air and made some karate moves and I laughed

“You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?”

“Yeah! I can’t pass up an opportunity to defend your honor and take down such an obnoxious man”

“Well, then you might have to beat up half of DYAD”

“Why is that?”

“Let’s just say that I’m too young for my position and people assume I’ve slept my way up. Most of the rumors are about Leekie and I, because he can be… affectionate sometimes”

“Clearly they don’t know you and your beautiful brain at all and, as for Leekie, you should really consider reporting him”

“Even though it’s uncomfortable sometimes, he’s harmless and I like it there. It didn't bother me so much in the past, but... after my last relationship ended I was just all over the place and couldn't really deal with it” I drank the rest of the bottle and took a deep breath realizing I was pretty drunk already

“Bad breakup?”

“Yeah. I didn't know this at the time but my ex proposed to me out of guilt for cheating with his coworker. We were moving in together so the night before he invited his friends over to some kind of pre bachelor party and when I got there with the truck filled with all my stuff I found him, the woman he cheated and another friend of his naked in bed”

“Asshole”

“Asshole indeed. My heart was broken, but so was his apartment, I trashed it completely before I went back to Krystal's and drank so much I thought my blood was pure alcohol for a while there” I laughed at the memory and she chuckled sadly “Worst hangover I've ever had. It just wasn't fair he being unfaithful to me after everything I had to endure in that toxic relationship. I really should've listened to her, Krystal is like a relationship guru, she should open a business”

“Tell me about it. I've know her only for a few weeks and she already gave me a full review of my love life”

“Did she now?”

“Yup, she basically told me to leave my girlfriend. I mean, she didn't actually tell me that, but it was what I got from our conversation” _Girlfriend? What girlfriend?_

“Wh-what? Why?”

“Our relationship was mostly… um, physical, we are completely different and we’ve never had a lot to talk about. She doesn't understand how important my research is to me and how could I spend so many hours at the lab, much less why I moved here. She is a holistic healer, but I still don't believe in all that bullshit of hers. Even though the massage was pretty great, she always made me drink suspicious smoothies that tasted like rotten testicles” I snorted a little too loud trying to hold back my laughter “Hey, laugh all you want, I miss the sound of that sometimes” She looked me dead serious in the eyes before continuing “Anyways, it’s been harder since I moved here, I can’t feel our connection anymore and we fight a lot. I’m just tired of all of that, it’s just so hard. I've been meaning to break up with her, but right now she's kinda ignoring me because I was analyzing some important samples when she called and couldn't talk. Classic Shay move” She paused for a second finishing the last bit of wine in her bottle “I’m not even sure I’ve ever loved someone. Like really really loved. I should be easy, shouldn’t it?” I sigh processing her babbles before answering her question

“I think that it’s different for everyone. It’s never been easy for me, especially because of the vulnerability of it. Love flows through us filling us and emptying us at the same time. It’s great to love and feel loved, but the thought of losing that is almost unbearable to me and the worst part is that when I do lose that it’s always way worse than what I expected. Now I just focus on my job”

“Dude, you can’t go into a relationship expecting it to end. You know, carpe diem and all that. And, who knows, maybe you’ll find that one person that stays with you through everything that life throws at you soon. Promise me you won’t let fear hold you back anymore?”

“I promise. And hey, you deserve someone who gets you and shares you the simple love you want” I touched her arm gently, noticing the goosebumps spreading through her and watched as she pulled away from me a little

“That's what Krystal said. You deserve it too. Well, that and a lot of respect and recognition for the exceptional person you are”

“Thanks, Cosima”

“Any time” We fell in silence for a while, our minds floating in clouds of alcohol and comfort. The light breeze of the night trying to sober us up and the full moon above the trees grabbing our attention. A few minutes had passed until Cosima spoke again.

“Dude, I forgot your tour”

“It's okay, I studied here, remember?”

“Yeah, you just came for the wine”

“And for the exquisite company” I added and she smiled warmly and got lost in that weird brain of hers

“I have an idea. Come with me”

I followed her through the dark and cold streets around campus until we got to the back of a warehouse and Cosima started searching for something in her bag

“Cosima, what are you doing? Are you breaking in?”

“Of course not, we are” 

“Are you crazy? We are going to get arrested”

“I’m messing with you” She pulls out a set of keys “See? I’ve got the keys, it’s not a crime”

“What even is this place?”

“It’s a surprise, close your eyes”

“Don’t let me fall”

“Never” A smile crept up in my face and she held my arm to guide me “Let’s go, nice and slow. Watch the step here. Stop here and take off your heels”

“Why?”

“Just do it, Delphine. Don’t look!” I took off my shoes and waited for her instructions “Now I’m gonna help you sit down. Stretch your legs and put them down slowly” I did as she told me and spasmed involuntarily as I got in contact with the water and accidentally hit Cosima “Shit!” Opening my eye, I saw her losing her balance and falling in the pool beneath my feet

“Mon Dieu, Cosima. Je suis désolé. Are you okay?” I asked as her head came up for air

“I’m fine, don’t worry. This was really fun, but I think I’m too drunk to swim. So… did you like your surprise?” She got out of the pool and sat by my side

“Yes, it was super funny” I giggled “Do you come here very often?”

“At least once a week, if you want to come here someday just let me know. My parents live on a houseboat, so I literally grew up in the water. Swimming has always helped me calm down and made me feel closer to home when I get homesick”

“That would be great. Do you visit your parents often?”

“Not as much as I’d like. I’ve visited them twice in the past three years. It’s hard, but right now I have to finish my PhD before getting back. Besides, I don’t even know how to explain to them how I have 4 identical sisters, they don’t even know I’m here, they think I’m still in Minnesota”

“It must be pretty shocking, but I’m sure they’ll understand you moving closer to your sisters”

“Yeah, they’re pretty rad. I probably won’t be the favorite daughter anymore” We laughed and I noticed her shivers

“Mon Dieu, you need a warm shower and dry clothes. Let me take you home, I live nearby and it’s the least I could to after throwing you in the pool like that”

“Okay, let me just turn off the lights and close everything” 

“How did you even manage to get those keys?” I asked as we started walking holding each other to keep her warm

“Oh, my friend’s mom owns the place and she loves me. No matter how many times I tell her I have a girlfriend she always tries to set me up with my friend”

“Is she cute at least?” Something twinges inside me

“His mom? She’s not exactly my type” Cosima giggles

“Sorry, I thought you friend was a woman”

“No probs, he is really nice, but I don’t really swing that way. I should introduce you two, though I must warn you he’s a huge nerd. Man, I think he’ll have a heart attack when he sees you”

“It would be a pleasure to meet your friend, but I’m not sure about dating him”

“No pressure, dude. We are just gonna hang out, okay?”

“Okay”

We continued walking and talking before stumbling into my apartment giggling

“What do we have here?” Krystal said from the couch and I could hear the smirk in her voice

“Hey, Krys” Cosima greeted and waved 

“Wow, I didn’t know Del could get someone this wet. What’s your secret, girl?” Our cheeks reddened

“I accidentally pushed Cosima into a pool, so I brought her here to take a shower and change”

“Uhum” Krystal snickered

“Come on, let’s get you some dry clothes” Cosima followed me to my room and I searched my wardrobe for clothes that would fit her petit form “Here you go, you know where the bathroom is, right?” She nodded “Okay, I'll get us something to eat”

“Now that's what I'm talking about. Thanks, Del”

I went to the kitchen to check what we had there, but the only thing I saw is that I had to go grocery shopping

“Krystal, do you want pizza or chinese?”

“Pizza”

“Okay” While I placed the order my friend came into the kitchen and stared at me

“Soooo…”

“So?” I asked confused

“You were out with Cosima…”

“Just ask what you want to know, Krys”

“Alright, what happened? Tell me everything” I snorted

“I was having a bad day and she invited me to meet her at the campus because she had free wine. After that we went to a pool, hence the state of her clothes”

“Uhum, what else?”

“Nothing. It was just that. Wow, I even forgot that I might get fired tomorrow for a while there” Sadness and worries hit me like a truck and Krystal hugged me and patted my back

“Oh, sweetie. You don't know that for sure. You are amazing, they would be crazy to let you go”

“I don't know, I'm just trying to figure this thing out. I just want to help” At this point I was trembling at the thought of my friends and their sisters being clones. Sick clones. With a disease that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't cure. I couldn't do absolutely anything besides watching them die 

“You do help, honey. What you do is important, but you don't need DYAD for th-”

“Oh my god, what's going on?” I heard the sound of Cosima's voice as joined Krystal in the hug “Everything's gonna be okay, we're here to help you”

“See, Cosima is super smart. If she says that, she really means it” Both of them let me go to look at me for a moment

“You know it's really creepy when you two stare at me with that same face” I giggled letting go of them a little “Thank you”

“You’re welcome” They both said at the same time

“Oh my god, this is weird. Like “The Island” weird” Cosima seemed shocked by Krystal’s comment

“What is “The Island”?” I asked

“Oh, I still need to get you up to speed with some pop culture things. It’s a movie about clones” My friend giggled and I went pale, but still forced a laugh being followed by Cos 

“Oh, um, that’s impossible. And illegal” 

“Yeah, sure. It was just a joke, you two nerds really need to get a better sense of humor”

“Hey!” I pushed her playfully and heard the doorbell “Ah, saved by the pizza. But it’s on you this time, I feel very very very offended” I fake pouted

“Fine”

We all sat on the couch talking, watching TV, eating and drinking a little bit more, until Cosima passed out on the couch. Again, she looked absolutely peaceful. And again, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her

“So, you’re gonna keep staring at her or you’re gonna get some sleep?”

“Krys, I told her about Jason” I  sighed

“You told her what?” Krystal gasped a little too loudly

“Shhh, you’re going to wake her up. Look, I didn’t tell her everything, just a little about the breakup”

“Even so, it’s really hard to get my head around the fact you told her. You didn’t share this with almost anyone, sweetie. And you just met her”

“I know, I don't know why I did it”

“You did it because you trust her”

“I do, but it doesn't make sense”

“It doesn't have to. I know you have a lot on your mind right now, just try to get some sleep. One day at a time, okay? You can talk to me anytime you want, but I really think you should rest. Good night, Del” She squeezed my hand and headed to her room

“Good night, Krys” 

I watched her leave and stood in the kitchen for a while reflecting and obsessing about every single detail of my life. Krystal was right, I needed to sleep. I took some sleeping pills I had stored and got a blanket before going back to the living room and covering Cosima up. In a reflex I leaned in to kiss her forehead, but stopped midway through. It was definitely something weird to do, so I went to my bed and drifted to sleep after the medicines kicked in.

The next day I woke up feeling like shit and with a hell of a hangover. I covered the bags beneath my eyes with makeup, put on the first suit I saw and got my purse after drinking the coffee I had prepared

“Hmm” I heard Cosima humming as her eyes fluttered open “Wow, you look great. I really don't want to wake up right now” Her eyes closed again and she turned. I didn't have time for that, I was already late

I got to the office panting after rushing there and I already had a guest in my office

“Bonjour, Dr. Leekie”

“Bonjour, Delphine. You know you can call me Aldous” He showed me his creepy smile

“Of course. What is this meeting about?”

“Right to the point, I see. Well, it's about the project you're working on. You need to sign a new confidentiality agreement if you want me to disclose more information about it. I can see you already have your suspicions and I am very aware of your work ethics, but I believe you can also understand what this means to science” I did know what he was talking about, but decided to play stupid, still not sure why he would choose to give me more info instead of firing me for the digging

“What is it?”

“I'm sure you already know”

“Say it”

“Human cloning”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think so far!


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